Bohemian Melbourne

Overview

There's a reason our city has such a reputation for arts and culture — it's been run by hipsters for generations. Though they may not have been wearing custom skinny jeans and buttoned-up shirts, they were doing all the same kinds of great experimental work in music, art and performance that you can catch in our best galleries, theatres and shonky laneways today. This latest exhibition at the State Library of Victoria tells their story.

Packed full of paintings, photographs, books, diaries, letters, costumes, posters, albums and films, Bohemian Melbourne delves into the city's alternative artistic world from the mid-19th century till the present day. There will be work on show from famous local creatives such as Nick Cave, Barry Humphries, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester as well as some small histories of our city's finest institutions — Heide, La Mama, and the Nicholas Building just to name a few.

"Every generation feels nostalgic about its own unique bohemian legacy, but this exhibition shows how the spirit of bohemianism has endured through 150 years of Melbourne’s history," says curator Clare Williamson. As a bonus there'll also be a series of walking tours, a live showing of body art, and a ritzy nostalgic cabaret show.

Failing that, you can just go and hunt for a photo of your hipster granddad hanging out with some kids from Fitzroy.